Moto G Stylus (2025) Hands-on: The taste of AI at a low price

Motorola’s 2025 Moto G Stylus It could be a new gateway device for trying out AI. I’ve spent a day testing a new $400 phone so far, and it’s super nice to have access to features limited to more expensive devices than ever before.

When the phone was announced last week, I was pleased to see a 68 watt wired fast charging. This is within the charging speeds normally seen on ASUS and Redmagic’s more expensive OnePlus and gaming phones. After draining the battery to zero and plugging it into an 80 watt wired charger, the 5,000-MAH battery charged to 74% in 30 minutes. This is the fastest charging speed I’ve seen on a phone under $500.

I also play using Moto AI features, such as the Sketch to Image feature built into the Notes app and Google’s circles that I search for. Gemini Assistant is also available by default, At least for nowcan be exchanged for Google Assistant.

With the sketches of the images, I did my best to draw a picture of a cat. To be honest, my drawings were horrifying. However, after the tapping Generate, the phone was able to decipher my creation and exchanged graffiti with a cat that seemed to come out of the clip art gallery.

The Moto AI features included in the stylus aren’t as authentic as what you’ll find on more expensive Samsung Galaxy phones, but they help you increase the level of your mobile experience. For example, Motorola’s AI can make low-light photos look clearer and brighter.

In a simple first camera test, I took my phone to the bar and took a picture of the beer. The results were very impressive. The camera boosts exposure in dark environments and retains the fact that it is a dim bar.

Focusing the 50 megapixel main camera on a beer glass, the photo does a good job of capturing the bubbles of my drink and its amber colour along the cup. The background is blurry, but I was also impressed by how I caught the dark power cord braid at the bottom right of the frame.

Back to bring my phone back to a wider shot, the camera also took some flowers, although close to me, but blurred what I was facing in other ways. Many of the small reflections on the glass, including the light distortion created by the glass, have been photographed. The 50 megapixel main camera comes with a 13 megapixel Ultra Wade, but as I continue to use this phone, I need to test it.

The 32-megapixel front camera is also worth noting, especially in the dimly lit bar. I intentionally took a photo with a flash-off and was still impressed that it still captured my hair with a minimal blend in the shadows of the background. Many of my skin details register it, but there is noticeable image noise around me – probably due to the low setting.

I’m still testing the Moto G Stylus, but these are just the best highlights. Among other features, I am pleased to finally reach my $400 phone. The feature set makes it very comparable to its rivals $400 Samsung Galaxy A36however, Samsung doesn’t offer Galaxy AI features at the Sketch to Image level on its phone – instead $650 Galaxy S24 FE.

That said, both phones can access Google AI features like Circle. However, as I lamented with the announcement of the stylus, Motorola only offers two years of software updates and three years of security updates. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A36 will double overall support, with Samsung pledging a six-year timeline for software and security updates.

We are excited to continue testing these phones, but it may be very common that there may be a $400 mobile phone option. Better software features or longer software support.